Is it vanity or is it really a necessity? The reasons behind you or your child getting orthodontic treatment can be as varied as the teeth being straightened. One thing is certain though, the cost of orthodontic treatment can seem like a steep price to pay when you first take a look at the bill. The cost begins to look a little more reasonable once you realize that it includes multiple checkups and adjustments that take place over several months or sometimes even years. You’re not just paying for the small metal attachments and the metal wires or the other materials that go in the mouth either. You’re covering a service of constant assessment and adjustment, all based on your orthodontist’s years of experience.
The price of orthodontic treatment can vary widely between materials, labor, and orthodontic services. Small-town orthodontic offices are often less expensive than those in large cities, and the part of the country you live in can affect the price as well. The final consideration is what kind of braces you and your orthodontist have decided are best for your mouth. Each of these areas will impact the cost, making an exact cost impossible to estimate until you see an orthodontist.
In general though, the total cost of orthodontic treatment from start to finish will cost between $5,000 and $7,000. If ceramic or “clear” braces are used instead of the traditional metal braces, this can add anywhere from $100 to $500 to the total fee. Lingual braces (or braces placed behind the teeth on the tongue side) will cost between $8,000 and $10,000. The higher cost compared to traditional braces is due to the difficulty and limited access to working in that area of the mouth. Invisalign treatment (using clear plastic aligners) is now more in line with traditional braces, so the total cost will be between $5,000 and $7,000. Although the lab costs for Invisalign aligners are much more than traditional braces, the total costs are offset by the fact that fewer appointments are needed when using aligners. This translates into less chair time, fewer adjustments and usually shorter treatment times, so the overall costs for traditional metal braces and Invisalign aligners usually balance out.
So how do people pay for braces? Coming up with thousands of dollars can be difficult for many families, no matter how necessary it is for their or their child’s dental health. Fortunately, there are a number of methods you can use when looking for financing for a complete set of braces and orthodontic treatment. Each person is unique, but most patients have access to at least one of the following ways to pay for their braces.
First, if you have dental insurance, check with your dental insurance provider. Most companies will cover at least a percentage of braces for people less than 18 years of age, as long as the treatment is considered medically necessary (which braces and Invisalign aligners are for growing children). If your current plan doesn’t cover orthodontic treatment, you may be able to buy supplemental orthodontic insurance to cover the bulk of the cost. Check the percentage of the cost that they cover and the annual payment cap to see if you’ll need to find additional financing options.
Most orthodontic offices offer in-house interest-free financing. This is usually pending a credit check, but if you qualify, you can usually pay a down-payment and then pay the balance over a period of time (oftentimes over the estimated length of treatment).
Many orthodontic offices now also offer third-party financing. Again, this will be pending a credit check, but if you qualify, you usually can pay no down-payment at all and simply make payments over an extended period of time (oftentimes well beyond the estimated length of treatment) making orthodontic treatment very affordable.
Many employers offer flexible spending accounts on an annual basis. This is another way of helping to defer the costs of orthodontic treatment. Check with the human resource department at your place of employment to see if you can set aside as much as $2,500 per year for such expenses as orthodontic treatment.
Virtually all orthodontic offices offer discounts for payments in full. For people who pay in cash the discount can be substantial (sometimes as much as 10% off the total fee). There is usually less of a discount when paying in full with a credit card, but many people like the idea of accruing award miles by using their credit cards.
Most orthodontists advise having your child’s first checkup around the age of 7. If no early interventional treatment is needed, your orthodontist should be able to determine if your child will be needing braces in the future. Comprehensive orthodontic treatment usually starts at about age 12 when all of the permanent teeth have erupted. This means that you will have about five years to put away enough money each week so that you can pay the entire orthodontic bill by the time your child needs braces. Even $20 a week saved faithfully for five years will net you $5,000 by the time your child needs braces, which will go a long way toward paying for most orthodontic treatment costs.
On the surface, orthodontic treatment can seem like an expensive investment. However, when you consider all that goes into treatment and the time involved in creating that fantastic smile, it really is a great investment in your future or your child’s future!
By Dr. Gary Reichhold
